Door handle assembly



Oct. 26, 1965 J. R. MARCHANT 3,214,214

DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 15, 1965 H if [W7 62726 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,214,214 DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY Joseph R. Marchant, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 15, 1963, Ser.v No. 324,125 3 Claims. (Cl. 296-44) This invention relates to vehicle bodies and more particularly to a vehicle body door handle assembly.

One feature of this invention is that it provides an improved vehicle body door handle assembly including means for illuminating a portion of the exterior body surface. A further feature of this invention is that the illuminating means includes a source of light located within the door and means for transmitting the light to the exterior of the door. A further feature of this invention is that the source of light may be energized prior to opening movement of the door upon depression of a push button assembly. Yet another feature of this invention is that a light transmitting prism is provided for transmitting the light from within the door to the exterior of the door.

These and other features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying a door handle assembly according to this invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3--3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a portion of FIG- URE 2.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body generally designated includes a front door 12 which is mounted thereon for movement between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown. Door 12 is held in closed position by a conventional door latch assembly mounted thereon adjacent the rearward edge 14 of the door. The details of the latch assembly are not shown since they form no part of this invention, but it will be understood that the latch assembly is of the type including an outside operating or release member which is adapted to release the latch bolt assembly so that the door may be opened. A push button door handle assembly 16 is mounted on the outer panel 18 of door 12 for releasing the door latch assembly from the exterior of the body, and a conventional key cylinder assembly 20 is provided to place the latch in a locked condition so that the door handle assembly 16 is ineffective to release the latch.

The assembly 16 includes a gripping handle portion 22 and a push button portion 24 which generally includes a hollow flanged push buttton member 26 secured to an actuating or push rod 28. A coil compression spring 30 seats between a retainer 32 and a shoulder of the rod to bias the rod and push button outwardly of the body or to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2 and thereby locate the inner end of the push rod in spaced relationship to the outside operating or release member 34 of the door latch assembly. Reference may be had to Priestman et al. 2,862,753 for a showing of more of the details of the door handle assembly 16.

A double contact type lamp bulb assembly 36 is secured to the rear or jamb face of door 12, not shown, by a bracket 38, with one of the contacts of the assembly being electrically connected to the vehicle battery as schematically indicated in FIGURE 2. The other contact of the bulb assembly is electrically connected to a generally U-shaped contact member 40 which fits over a flange of the member 34 and is electrically insulated therefrom. The inner leg of member 40 is riveted to member 34 and the outer leg of the member includes a tab 42 which is adapted to be engaged by the inner end of the push rod 28 upon initial inward movement of the push button and rod to ground the circuit across bulb 44 of assembly 36.

A light transmitting prism generally designated 46, of suitable glass or plastic material, is secured to the rod 28 for movement therewith. Upon initial movement of the push button 26 and rod 28 inwardly of the body to ground the circuit across the bulb 44, the light from the bulb 44 is transmitted by the prism 46 outwardly of the body and is then focused downwardly through an opening 48 in the lower wall of the push button 26 to illuminate the lock cylinder 20. The light will also be cast upon a good portion of the outer surface of the door 12 and also upon the ground adjacent the door.

Generally, the prism 46 includes an inner portion 50 having an upper convex or spherical portion face 52 which gathers the light rays from the bulb 44 and casts these rays upon a lower slanted face 54 on the prism 46. The light rays are then passed from the face 54 through a block type mounting portion 56 and a rod portion 58 to a forward slanted face 60 of the prism from whence they are then cast downwardly of the prism and through the opening 48 in the lower wall of the push button 26. The mounting portion 56 of the prism is apertured at 59 to receive the push rod therethrough with the prism being secured to the push rod by a suitable set screw as shown. This allows adjustment of the prism relative to the push rod to assure that the light from the bulb 44 will be properly focused downwardly through the opening 48 upon initial movement of the push. button 26.

It will be noted that the bulb 44 is energized upon initial inward movement of the push button 26 in rod 28 and prior to release of the door latch assembly by means of the engagement of the push rod 28 with the member 34. Thus, the operator can light the key cylinder 20 as well as the outer surface of the door 12 and the ground below the door at will and prior to release of the door latch assembly.

Thus, this invention provides an improved vehicle body door handle assembly.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a closure mounted thereon for movement between open and closed positions and releasable latch means for holding the closure in closed position, the combination comprising, movable latch release means, a source of light located within said closure, means actuated upon movement of said release means for energizing said light source, and a light transmitting prism mounted on said release means and having a first face located adjacent said light source and receiving light therefrom when said source is energized upon. movement of said release means, said prism including a second face located exteriorly of said closure for receiving light [from said first face and focusing such light on the exterior of said closure.

3 4 2. The tfiqbination recited in claim 1 wherein said from said source and casting said light upon said first latch release means includes a movable push rod memface when said source is energized.

her and a hollow push button member receiving the outer end portion of said prism and said second face thereof, References Cited by the Examiner said push button member having an opening therein per- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS mitting said second face to cast the light therethrough 2 628 304 .2/53 Boyd on the exterior of said closure. 2:904:671 9 59 Johnson 3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said prism includes a collector surface located intermediate MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. said first face and said light source for collecting light HARRY LEVY, Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY HAVING A CLOSURE MOUNTED THEREON FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS AND RELEASABLE LATCH MEANS FOR HOLDING THE CLOSURE IN CLOSED POSITION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, MOVABLE LATCH RELEASE MEANS, A SOURCE OF LIGHT LOCATED WITHIN SAID CLOSURE, MEANS ACTUATED UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID RELEASE MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID LIGHT SOURCE, AND A LIGHT TRANSMITTING PRISM MOUNTED ON SAID RELEASE MEANS AND HAVING A FIRST FACE LOCATED ADJACENT SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND RECEIVING LIGHT THEREFROM WHEN SAID SOURCE IS ENERGIZED UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID RELEASE MEANS, SAID PRISM INCLUDING A SECOND FACE LOCATED EXTERIORLY OF SAID CLOSURE FOR RECEIVING LIGHT FROM SAID FIRST FACE AND FOCUSING SUCH LIGHT ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID CLOSURE. 